NH Supreme Court to take up voter registration law

Tuesday

Oct 2, 2012 at 3:15 AM

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

CONCORD — The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a dispute over New Hampshire's new voter registration law.

The law requires new voters to sign a statement saying that they declare New Hampshire their domicile and are subject to laws that apply to all residents, including laws requiring drivers to register cars and get a New Hampshire driver's license.

After out-of-state college students challenged the law, a Strafford County Superior Court judge blocked its implementation. That prompted the attorney general's office to ask the state Supreme Court to put the lower court's ruling on hold and to review the case itself.

The high court agreed Monday to hear the appeal and set a deadline of the end of the day Thursday for the parties to file responses.

The injunction appeared to remain in effect Monday night. As part of his order, Superior Court Justice John Lewis instructed the New Hampshire Secretary of State to post a message on the website of his office indicating that college students are not required to change over their driver's licenses in order to vote in New Hampshire.

After waiting several days to make a decision about whether to comply, Secretary of State Bill Gardner authorized his staff to follow the court order Monday. A new message on the site read: "The following notice is being posted by Superior Court order from Judge John Lewis. The Secretary of State disagrees with the following notice and is challenging its constitutionality in court. This notice will remain only until further order of the court."

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